AES E-Library

Locating Sounds Around the Screen

Today's large-size computer screens can display a wealth of information easily enough to overload the user's visual perceptual channel. Looking for a remedy for this effect, we research into providing additional acoustic cues through surround sound speakers mounted around the screen. In this paper, we demonstrate the results of user evaluations of interaction with screen elements using the surround-screen setup. Results of these tests have shown that applying surround-screen sound can enhance response times in a simple task, and that users can localize the approximate origin of a sound when played back with this technique.